Meryl Gear
by Major Raikov
Summary: Its amazing what boredom can do to a man...Just something I whipped up. Probably won't finish it, unless somebody wants me to...(RnR)


"Who are you?"  
  
"You know me.sister!"  
  
The raven-haired woman stood above Meryl, pacing the surface of the defeated Metal Gear. Girders hung from every angle and fire littered the floor.  
  
"Sister?" said Meryl, "what are you talking about? I have no family!"  
  
"That's because you killed our mother," shouted the woman back, angered at Meryl's distinct lack of knowledge.  
  
"What're you talking about?"  
  
"They really didn't tell you anything, did they?" The woman laughed. "Haven't you ever wondered why you have no memory of your parents? No repressed memory of any kind? Haven't you ever wondered were you came from?"  
  
"I know were I came from," said Meryl, trying to stand, "my parents were killed in a skiing accident. The army adopted me after that. They look for people like me, who have no ties."  
  
The woman laughed. "If only that were the truth, our lives would be so much easier. We could've blamed it all on them, our reckless 'mommy and daddy', who decided to take the dangerous road on the slope. Then we could say it was their fault for what is happening now. But we can't. You know the truth as I do. Deep down, you've always known that you were different. You were different from all the other children at the orphanage and at school. You were different from everybody at the academy, before you joined Foxhound. You were different from everybody in this complex. But you are not different from me!"  
  
Meryl was confused. A minute ago, she was saving the world, but now, some woman she'd met only a few hours ago was telling her some crazy story. "What the hell are you talking about? Who are you?"  
  
"I'M YOU! I'M YOUR SHADOW!" The raven-haired woman became deadly angry. She raised her fists in fury, causing her shiny, plastic body suit to ripple in the firelight.  
  
Meryl found some energy inside herself, but kept it aside. She was intrigued, and wanted to know what the woman had to say. "Explain yourself!" Shouted Meryl.  
  
"Oh, I will," said the woman with a smile, calming herself. "But first, I must show you something. Turn around, sister."  
  
Meryl hesitated. How could she trust this person, this person who was telling a crazy story? But Meryl had nothing to lose. Her adversary was unarmed, and Meryl was more than capable of defending herself physically. She nodded and slowly turned around.  
  
Meryl gasped. Lying on one of Metal Gear's other arms lay Snake. He was injured and unconscious. His facial expression looked painful and he had large wounds on his arms.  
  
"Snake!"  
  
"He can't here you, I'm afraid," said the woman, a mocking tone in her voice, "we had our fun with him, and now he's going to die, just like you and me!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Your wonderful Secretary of Defence has ordered a nuclear strike on this base," said the woman, "we are all going to die!"  
  
"I don't believe you!" Shouted Meryl. "A nuclear strike would take out half of Alaska! The colonel wouldn't allow it!"  
  
"Oh? But didn't she tell you earlier that she doesn't have full control over your mission plan? Don't you think this is the perfect cover up? The new experimental weapon malfunctions in the hands of terrorists, creating a nuclear explosion, and the president becomes a hero by waging war on the rest of the world."  
  
"Sears is different," said Meryl, "presidents have changed since the Bush administration. We're in a different world now! Georgia Sears wouldn't allow this!"  
  
"What makes you think she knows?" The woman laughed. "Call Campbell, she'll tell you what Houseman wants to do about her, 'ace in the hole'."  
  
Meryl crouched on one knee and placed her hand behind her ear, activating her Codec. She inputted the frequency and pressed call. What happened, she did not anticipate.  
  
"Houseman? What's going on? Were is the colonel?" Asked Meryl.  
  
"Colonel Campbell has been retired, she is no longer part of this offensive," said Jane Houseman, the Secretary of Defence and the person behind the entire mission.  
  
"What's happening? Why hasn't the army moved in?"  
  
"We've decided that there is nothing of importance left at the Shadow Moses site. All Cells are being considered expendable at this point in time," said Houseman, in an authoritative manner.  
  
"What're you talking about? I'm not expendable. Snake's not expendable!"  
  
"Like my friends weren't expendable?"  
  
"Are talking about Foxhound?" Asked Meryl, fury growing by the second.  
  
"No, you fool, I'm talking about Dania and Katherine!" "That wasn't my fault, that was."  
  
"Indeed, carrier girl," said Houseman, "that's exactly what Nick wanted you to believe. Heart attacks? Pah! You've barely even scratched the surface!"  
  
"But it was you who ordered the Fox-die insertion, wasn't it?"  
  
"You really think I'm that cold, to do that to my own friends?" said Houseman, with a slight tremble.  
  
"Well, you're about to kill thousands in order to cover your tracks. Isn't it convenient how anybody who has any knowledge of this entire operation are either here, in prison, or dead? You knew what you were doing the whole time you sick bastard!"  
  
Houseman laughed. "I guess you're right, Silverburgh. Don't get me wrong; I'm going to miss having you around to do these 'special missions'. But I guess I'll get another grunt to do the dirty work instead, eh?" Houseman laughed again and cut the transmission, not allowing Meryl to call back.  
  
"Dammit!" Shouted Meryl, standing up. She turned and looked at the woman. "Did you tap into the conversation?"  
  
"Yes," said the woman, "you've got to admire her tenacity."  
  
"Tell me who I am," said Meryl, "I want to know everything before its over."  
  
The woman looked at her. "Very well," she said, "I'll start at the beginning. I'm guessing you remember the Outer Heaven incident?"  
  
"How could I forget," said Meryl, "my first mission, I was green as hell."  
  
"Yes," said the woman, "and masterminding the entire operation was your old leader, Big Boss, the greatest soldier in the world. You were forced to destroy her, full knowing that she was your leader."  
  
"You would've done the same," said Meryl, angrily, "if you weren't such a psycho, of course."  
  
"Hmmm, complementing sentiments," said the woman, smiling. "Afterwards, during the Zanzibar uprising, you were once again forced to fight her. She had evaded death once before, but couldn't pull it off the second time. You were also forced to defeat your comrade in arms, Grey Fox. You killed her beyond death, and that is why you had to face her again, today."  
  
"What relevance does all this have?"  
  
"We are the children of Big Boss!"  
  
"What?!? What are you talking about?" Said Meryl, confused.  
  
"Les Enfants Terriblé," shouted the woman, "the terrible twins. The perfect clones of the ultimate warrior, Big Boss."  
  
"No! That's impossible!"  
  
"No it's the truth!" Said the woman. "You, Meryl Silverburgh, the sister of light. And I, Minerva Blackheart, the sister of dark. You stole everything from me. You stole my birthright!"  
  
"I don't understand," exclaimed Meryl, totally confounded, "how, when?"  
  
"The nineteen seventies, the perfect time for the United States to begin their advanced weapons programme. And what better than a soldier, that is fearless and virtually indestructible. Emotionless and perfectly trained, nobody could stand in her way. Just like Big Boss, heroine of Vietnam."  
  
"The Genome soldier programme."  
  
"That's right," said Minerva, "all the genome soldiers here today were Big Boss' failed children, each of them destined to fall at your hand, the chosen sister."  
  
"It can't be."  
  
"Well it is, so there is no pint dwelling on the matter," said Minerva, looking angrily into Meryl's eyes. "Lets play a game."  
  
Meryl had given in. She knew it was all about to end, so she humoured her 'sister' a little. "What kind of a game?"  
  
"There is a bomb attached to Snake over there." Minerva revealed a pad with a button it. "When I press this button, it will arm, leaving Snake five measly minutes of life. If you reach the bomb, it will disarm with the touch of a button. You could share one last minute of passion before the end. But you'll have to go through me to get to him." Minerva pushed the button.  
  
The bomb clicked. The seconds began to tick away. Meryl had to act quickly.  
  
"Have at you, Meryl!" Shouted Minerva, tossing the control device of off Metal Gear into the flames. She put up her fists, ready to fight. Meryl had no choice. If there was any chance that she and Snake could survive the imminent onslaught, then now was her time.  
  
Minerva jumped forward, throwing a heavy punch in Meryl's direction. Quickly, Meryl avoided the shot, and landed a kick on her opponents back, knocking her to the floor.  
  
"Nice shot," shouted Minerva, who quickly sprung to her feet, upper cutting Meryl in the process. She grunted and fell to the solid head of Metal Gear. Wiping blood from her lip, she rose slowly to her feet again.  
  
"I don't want to fight you, Minerva," declared Meryl, in a daze.  
  
"Then you shall die!" Minerva bent low and ran at her opponent, headfirst. Meryl jumped to one side quickly, forcing Minerva over the edge of Metal Gear. But the fight was far from over. As she toppled over the side, she grabbed the rail gun with both her hands, flipping herself back onto the head.  
  
Meryl realised that one of the two of them was going to die in the next couple of minutes, and it was not going to be her. With newfound determination, Meryl swung around quickly and landed a powerful roundhouse kick on Minerva's face, before pummelling her chest, and knocking her over with a well-aimed sweep kick.  
  
Minerva hit the metal with a thud. "Finally, you've realised your true- self!" She shouted at Meryl, as she slowly rose to her feet, spitting blood downwards.  
  
Meryl lowered her readied fists. "What are you talking about?"  
  
Holding her injured chest, Minerva ran directly towards Meryl. "You're out of time!" Meryl wondered why Minerva was using such a reckless attack. With ease, Meryl moved out of the way, and pushed her running 'sister' into the oblivion below. "Noooooo!" Her final word echoed throughout the giant hanger bay, specially made to accommodate the new Metal Gear prototype. Meryl looked in the fire and darkness.  
  
"Checkmate!" 


End file.
